a. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure pertains generally to electrophysiological devices and methods for diagnosing and treating biological tissue and, more particularly, to catheters for diagnosing or treating cardiac tissue having an atraumatic distal tip segment.
b. Background Art
The present disclosure relates to medical devices, such as catheters, employed for diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedures to treat or diagnose biological tissue, more specifically in minimally invasive cardiac electrophysiology studies and/or cardiac ablation procedures. Catheters of the above described type are known in the art including, for example, catheters having a circular or hoop-shaped configuration in a distal portion of the device. Typically, such catheters are insertable through an introducer and adopt a straightened configuration when enclosed within the introducer. Upon exiting the protective sheath, there is a risk that the distal end of the catheter may perforate the heart or cause damage to the endocardial or epicardial tissue. Thus, it is preferable to have an atraumatic tip at the distal end of the catheter to prevent damage to the tissue. In known devices, this has been accomplished using a round or spherical tip electrode. However, a tip electrode is not always desirable and incorporating a tip electrode increases the complexity and expense of manufacturing. In addition, the use of a tip electrode usually requires the inclusion of a safety wire, which crowds the inner diameter of the device and can be especially burdensome to incorporate in small diameter catheters. Other known devices use a ball of epoxy affixed to the distal end of the device, but there is a risk that the ball of epoxy may fall off inside the body if it is not properly adhered to the device. What are needed therefore, are improved devices having atraumatic distal tips to prevent inadvertent damage to the tissue.